Kurt Vonnegut And Harrison B Essay

Kurt Vonnegut, And Harrison B Essay, Research Paper

Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. was depicting the life and the struggles of African-Americans in the United States in the 1960’s and not a futuristic, someday society in his short story Harrison Bergeron. Harrison Bergeron is really an account of a black who showed

extra-ordinary talent and yet was shunned and suppressed by society because he was different and therefore regarded as dangerous. Vonnegut, Jr., who was named one of 100 AUTHORS WHO SHAPED WORLDHISTORY (Perkins 84), often used his short story forum to share his views on political issues. In order to understand Kurt Vonnegut, “a self-acknowledged pessimist” (Literature 784), we must review the climate of America during the late fifties and early sixties. During this period, America was in turmoil.

After the Korean War, Americans were faced with the threat of being labeled anti-American and Communist. McCarthyism, “accusations of communist loyalties” (Compton’s Interactive), left many authors, actors and public officials fearful about publicly speaking out about American Policy. Any criticism during this time may have been exploited and the author blacklisted. Authors tried to find imaginative ways of criticizing without jeopardizing themselves. Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. , like many active authors during the late 1950’s and 60’s used a supposed fictitious stage to express his disdain.

Vonnegut, Jr., in order to express his ideas, chose a future time

setting. The reader can assume that this short story takes place in America since there is

reference to Constitutional Amendments. The theme of this short story is that the government while passing more laws toward equality is neglecting the fact that the original laws already cover these items. Also, the government has handicapped it’s most intelligent and strongest people who would possibly be able to be our country’s greatest leaders. The author’s tone is astonishment at the irony and lunacy of the situation.

America was a segregated country until the late fifties. In 1955,

Rosa Parks, a middle aged African-American woman refused to relinquish her seat on an Alabama bus to a white man. This spurred the cry for equality for African-Americans. Ruby Bridges, a young African-American girl, was the first black to attend a newly desegregated school. Resistance to change and equality was high. Ruby Bridges had to be accompanied to school every day by federal officers. Black Americans, such as Rosa Parks and Ruby Bridges were threatened with bodily harm just for trying to secure the same freedom that Caucasians have. The civil war had been fought and won, so the resistance to giving blacks their equality shouldn’t have even been questioned.

Civil Disobedience came to fruition during this time. Instead of using violence, Martin Luther King, Jr. was preaching peaceful resistance to obtain goals of

equality .

It was during this turbulent era that Kurt Vonnegut wrote Harrison

Bergeron. With this background information, we can begin to understand the context of this important, thought provoking piece as an account of the inequalities that existed in the U.S. and not as a wildly unbelievable fictitious future. The author intended for his audience to read this piece and understand the world as it was at the time it was written, see the instability in our society, and take measures to correct it.

From the very beginning, Harrison Bergeron has hidden

messages. “They were equal every which way. All this equality was due to the 211th, 212th, and 213th Amendments to the Constitution, and to the unceasing vigilance of agents of the United States Handicapper General” (Vonnegut) is encoded.

Examining 211, 212, and 213, we can add each series of three

numbers together and find the author’s true intent of these numbers. Two plus one plus one equals four; two plus one plus two equals five; two plus one plus three equals six. So, we now have 4, 5, and 6 respectfully. These numbers refer to the 4th, 5th and 6th Amendments to the Constitution. The 4th Amendment covers the “right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, etc.” (qtd. Compton’s Interactive); the 5th Amendment states “no person shall be held to answer for a capital or otherwise infamous crime unless on a presentment or indictment of a grand jury” (qtd. Compton’s Interactive); the 6th Amendment insures a “public speedy trial by an impartial jury” (qtd. Compton’s Interactive). The author is clearly demonstrating that the steps that the government took to insure everyone’s equality violated Constitution that was and is already in effect. The author is questioning whether new Amendments to the Constitution are needed when the Amendments already in place cover all people of this country.

Vonnegut’s description of a “United States Handicapper General”(Literature 784) refers to the United States attorney general at the time, Robert F. Kennedy (Globalserve; Academic 44). Robert F. Kennedy “stressed civil rights enforcement” (44) and in a

bizarre twisted, out of control way, so did Handicapper General, Diana Moon Glampers. Both Robert F. Kennedy and Diana Moon Glampers were doing their elected duties in trying to protect it’s citizens with the law as it was written.

Vonnegut, Jr. writes, “Some things about living still weren’t quite

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